Recently, the horrific spate of sexual violence against women sent shock waves across the nation. As voices of protests and outrage snowballed to demand justice for the Kathua and Unnao victims, Prime Minister Narendra Modi responded by saying that culprits will not be spared. Thereafter, in London, he insisted that rapes should not be politicised. Different Bollywood celebrities too have shown their outrage by protesting on social media, including Big B’s own son Abhishek Bachchan. However, the Shahenshah of Bollywood has comfortably kept mum!
Recently, he held a press conference for his upcoming movie “102 Not Out”. A reporter asked him about his feelings on the heinous rape cases. As government’s ambassador of ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ campaign it does make him accountable for giving a nuanced reply. Instead, he shared that he doesn’t want to talk about it as it makes him feel disgusted. He said:
“Even discussing this issue feels disgusting, don’t bring up this issue. It is terrible to even talk about it.”
Many users, across different social media platforms, were appalled by his comment. Here is how they reacted:
@SrBachchan your silence on rape cases is not a good sign for voice of Indian women #rape #Aasifa #UnnaoCase #KathuaMurderCase #UPRAPE
Advertisement— Shamroze Romaan (@Romaan_Here) April 20, 2018
@SrBachchan Ji you are a #BrandAmbassador of #BetiBachaoBetiPadhao. You must Speak and take your stand on #Kathua & #UnnaoCase or resign from all the posts of brand ambassador of Beti Bachao.#SpeakUpIndia
— Aakash Taywade (@AakashTaywade) April 19, 2018
@SrBachchan ji, This is the key reason why women don’t discuss sexual abuse. Speak up sir. #UnnaoCase #UnnaoHorror #Kathua #KathuaCase https://t.co/8LJ8ffBM3z
— Subhajit Roy (@subhajitedits) April 19, 2018
#KathuaKaSach Very appalled by the actor, sorry, if he can’t speak then when will he #GirlsUnderThreat #UnnaoCase #WakeUpModi
— Bernard Dmello (@BernardDmello) April 19, 2018
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A few days back, when the incident got highlighted in media, Big B posted an image congratulating his daughter on her upcoming book. Though a sweet gesture from a father, that forced the netizens to raise a crucial question. How can he keep quiet about the rape incident when he is a father himself? Here are some of the reactions:
Previously, just before the release of his movie “Pink,” he tweeted about how India needs to stand up against rape. Here’s the tweet:
T 2347 – Independence Day 15th August pledge .. may India be Independent from rape .. bharat aazad ho rape se .. pic.twitter.com/mZ8BemcqKc
— Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) August 13, 2016
Being a public figure comes with moral obligations but that fact seems to elude this superstar. Is the only time he is going to take a stand with generic comments about women empowerment when his ‘feministic’ movies are set to release?
What is your thought on his silence? Let’s start the discussion in the comments below.
